Non-verbal

Communication
• Non verbal communication is less deliberate and
conscious but it is important.
• Non verbal communication means all communication
that involves neither written nor spoken words but
occurs without the use of words.
• The definition includes non verbal communication that
occurs together with verbal communication as well as
the one that occurs alone
 In non verbal communication we are concerned
with such things as body movements, space,
time, and voice inflection as well as general
characteristics of the environment.
 Non verbal communication can be divided into
six sub parts. They are: kinesics , proxemics,
time language (Chronemics), paralanguage
(Vocalic), physical context and Haptics
Kinesics
 It is the most studied form of non verbal communication.
 Some even believe that kinesics and non verbal
communication are same.
 Kinesics can be defined as the study of the body’s physical
movements.
 In other words it is the study of how the movements of our
body communicate without the use of words.
 It is popularly known as body language.
 When we study kinesics, we try to look for the inner states of
emotion expressed by our face, eyes, gestures, postures etc.
 For example, by nodding or shaking our head, blinking our
eyes, shrugging our shoulders, waving our hands and making
other physical movements, we send messages to others.
 Under kinesics, we study the following body parts in
terms of how they communicate the inner states of our
emotions.
Face and Eyes ( Facial Expressions and Eye Contact)
 Our face reflects most of the expressions of what is
going on inside us.
 Within the facial area as well, the eyes tell us much
more than other facial features.
 So, we normally look to the face and eyes of people to
determine much of the meaning behind body language.
 Whether the mouth is open wide or closed, the eyelids
raised or lowered, the nose wrinkled or relaxed, the
forehead lowered or raised, all these facial expressions
show our emotions such as happiness, surprise, anger,
excitement etc.
 Eyes even tell us more than our facial expressions.
 For example, eyebrows with upper and lower eyelids
raised combined with dilated pupils i.e. a wide eyed
effect tells us that the person is excited, surprised or
frightened.
 Similarly different kinds of eye contact and
movements also express different kinds of meanings.
 For example, looking at someone or something for a
long period of time shows our intensity of interest.
Brief eye contact, on the other hand, reveals
embarrassment, timidity or nervousness.
 Proper eye contact helps us build a rapport with the
audience, and connect with them during
conversations or presentations.
Gestures:
 Gesturesrefer to the movements of arms, legs,
hands, torso and head.
 Like face and eyes, gestures also convey meaning.
 For
example, a pounding fist on the table indicates
anger. Similarly a forefinger held high above one’s
head indicates to number one or unity.
 Speaking and gestures are linked. Generally,
intensity of speech appears to be directly
associated with the size of a gesture. The louder
the speech is the greater the gesture is.
 Gestures reinforce the meaning communicated by
words.
Body shape and posture:
 Our body shape and posture affect how we think about
ourselves, how we relate to others and how others
relate to us.
 When we are in a familiar situation, we are less aware
of our body shape and posture.
 But when we encounter an unfamiliar situation such as
an interview for an important job or a formal speech,
we are more aware of our posture and try to make the
best impression possible. We may try to adjust our
standing or sitting position from time to time because
we know only a right posture shows us confident and
comfortable.
 Holding your head straight, maintaining your upper body
erect, standing on both feet etc show that you are
confident.
 Leaning slightly forward while talking to somebody indicates
we are interested. Leaning backwards indicates our lack of
interest or motivation.
 Even the physical shapes of our bodies communicate to
others.
 According to the behaviourists, there are three body types:
the ectomorph, the mesomorph and the endomorph.
 The ectomorph is thin, youthful and tall; the mesomorph is
strong, athletic and muscular and the endomorph is fat,
round and soft.
 In fact all of us like to be mesomorphs because this kind of
body type sends positive vibes to everyone and attracts
them.
Appearance:
 By appearance, we mean clothing, hair, and
adornments such as jewelry, cosmetics and so
on.
 Ourappearances tell others how we want to be
seen.
 Therefore,we always try to adapt our
appearance such as our dress up, make up etc.
according to the occasion and situation.
Proxemics
 It is the study of how we communicate with the space
around us.
 It involves how we arrange our personal space and
what we arrange in it.
 We also call it personal space language as we call
kinesics body language.
 There are four different kinds of spaces that we study
under proxemics.
 Intimate space
 Personal space
 Social space
 Public space
 The first is the one that extends up to 18 inch circle
around us.
 This is called our intimate space. We originate all of
our body movements within this space. We carry
this space with us wherever we go.
 Only special people such as our close friends and
family are permitted to enter this space.
 The second is the space that lies four feet beyond
the first circle. We call it personal space.
 Conversations with close friends, colleagues, peers
and so on occur here.
 It is a casual, and a relaxed place for us and permits
spontaneous communications.
 The third one is the space that extends from four to
twelve feet around us. This is called the social space.
 This is rather a formal space because we use it formally.
This means the relationships in it are official.
 Most of our business is conducted in this zone , and it is
conducted with less emotion and more planning.
 The last one is the space that extends beyond 12 feet to
the range of eyesight and hearing. We call it the public
space.
 Intimate and personal spaces however may differ
according to Individuals and across cultures.
 For example, activities in the first zone and the meaning
they communicate may differ between a person in the
western countries and the one in the eastern countries
like ours.
Time Language ( Chronemics)
 Time language involves the meaning we give to time.
 In other words, it means how we communicate to others what
time means to us.
 In fact how we use time communicates a lot about our habits,
practices and behaviors.
 Time is particularly important for people in North America. The
history of North American business society reveals this.
 What meaning we give to time and how much value we place
on it is the result of what our culture has taught us about the
meaning of time.
 For example, North American culture teaches that being on
time is a virtue. It also teaches that future is important
especially in cases of insurance and pension planning.
 Thus, how we use our time in our personal and
professional schedules reflects how our culture has
taught us to perceive time and we communicate it
through our non verbal behaviors.
 Being late for an appointment, for example, shows
the lack of seriousness on our part for it. On the
other hand, when someone arrives early for the
same, we see him/her as eager or aggressive.
 Within each person, there appears to be a time
language just as there is a body language and a
space language.
Paralanguage ( Vocalic)
 Of all the types of non verbal communication, it is the closest
to actual verbal communication. It is the only form of non
verbal communication that does not occur alone.
 By paralanguage, we mean how a person says something.
Paralanguage involves the “how” of a speaker’s voice rather
than the “what” of the words.
 Para means “like”; thus paralanguage actually means like
language.
 In paralanguage, we examine and study the sound of
someone’s speech.
 For example, when someone speaks, we try to examine
whether his/her sound is fast or slow, high pitched or deep,
loud and forceful or barely audible, smooth or disjointed etc.
 These are the types of signals with which paralanguage is
concerned.
 For effective communication, the “how” and the
“what” of a person’s speech should have
consistency.
 This means what is said and how it is said should
match. The tone of one’s speech and the meaning
intended to be conveyed should match with each
other.
 We should avoid sending mixed signals i.e. saying
one thing in one way and using words that intend
the opposite.
 Paralanguage even helps us know about people’s
backgrounds, appearances and personalities. We
can infer about these things by evaluating their
voice patterns.
Physical Context
 Physical context, which is also known as the context of our
surroundings, refers to how colour and layout/design
communicate.
 It is one of the most general and abstract of the nonverbal
types.
 Under physical context, we study two parts: Colour and
Layout/Design.
Colour:
 people who study the effects of colours conclude that different
colours are associated with different moods and behaviours.
 Artists, interior designers and image consultants all say that
the right colour combinations can project appropriate feelings.
 This automatically means that we have a colour language as
well.
 The bright colours such as blue, yellow and red
convey positive feelings while black and gray
usually convey negative feelings.
 Colours can create meanings in our minds.
 This means the colours of our clothing, office
interiors and so on make an impression.
 Therefore, we must give special attention to colour
coordination to achieve the desired effect.
 We must choose the appropriate colour combination
according to the place, context and occasion.
Layout and Design:
 Layout and design of our surroundings also
communicate non verbally.
 The space arrangements of an office, the presence
or absence of carpeting, the layout of desk and
chairs, the office size etc. tell the others quite a lot
about our status, power and influence in the
organization.

 For example, if we see someone’s office lavishly set

with exquisite furnishings, we can easily understand
that he/she holds an important power and authority
in his/her organization. On the other hand, if we see
it poorly set, we understand the opposite.
 Haptics
 Haptics refers to what we communicate with others
through our touching behaviour.
 For example, through hugging, patting and
handshaking, we communicate our feelings of intimacy,
sympathy or encouragement.
 In formal business setting, two aspects of haptics are
more common:
 Patting
 handshakes
Patting
 One of the most common kinds of touch used in
workplace
 A gentle pat on the back conveys a range of meanings
such as encouragement, praise, approval, sympathy etc.
 Usually done by a person in authority or a senior to
juniors
 A junior may also pat a senior in situations of giving
sympathy
Handshakes
 Different types of handshakes communicate different
kinds of meaning and the attitudes of people involved in
handshakes
 Types of Handshakes and their Meaning
1. Upper handed handshake: dominating behaviour, superiority
2. Limp( Dead fish) Handshake: disinterestedness, low self-esteem, lack of
energy and enthusiasm
3. Firm handshake: mutual respect, fair and equal treatment, respect for each
other’s dignity
4. Bone crusher handshake: aggressive behaviour, overtly energetic,
revolutionary attitude
5. Two-handed handshake: warmth and cordiality, mutual respect, close
bonding / also the sign of submissiveness and inferiority
6. Fist bumps: desirable in personal and informal setting, indicates to friendship
or companionship, a pleasant bonding and a close affinity
7. Controller handshake: dominance or controlling attitude, tendency to impose
their agenda
 Importance of Nonverbal Communication
Appropriate use of non verbal cues or the
good display of non verbal behaviour helps in:
 Reading people’s emotions and intentions hidden
behind their behaviour
 Building a rapport/connecting with people during
face-to-face interactions
 Creating a good ‘first impression’
 Complementing verbal communication
 Detecting people’s deceptive behaviour
 making communication more lively and engaging
 Building goodwill by projecting a professional
image
 Mastering Nonverbal Communication
 Improving nonverbal communication skills helps us build good
workplace relationship and project a professional image of ourselves
 Guidelines:
 Maintain good eye contact to build trust and establish connection
 Greet everyone with smile in your face
 don’t go round wearing a gloomy or aggressive look all the time
 Use appropriate gestures ; avoid using dramatic gestures
 Speak with polite and friendly tone
 Observe the nonverbal cues of others carefully during
conversations and interactions to get the right meaning
 Sit or stand upright ; avoid slouching
 Maintain a right posture during formal dealings, meetings,
interactions etc.; don’t sit in a over relaxed position when you are
in a formal situation
 Shake hands firmly when you get introduced to people
 Maintain and respect others’ personal/private space
 Show interest while listening to others by nodding , smiling or
through other facial features
 Dress up appropriately according to the occasion
 Be well groomed, and try to appear professional
 Project a positive time language by being punctual and meeting
deadlines